A new image has been released by NASA which shows a family photograph left on the surface of the Moon by Apollo astronaut Charkes Duke.
It was unearthed in the Project Apollo Image Archive, which serves as an online reference source and repository of digital images pertaining to the historic manned lunar landing programme.
Duke left the photo there during the Apollo 16 mission on 23 April 1972, after he and John Young embarked on a mission to explore the Moon’s Descartes Highlands in a Lunar Roving Vehicle – and it will still be on that same spot even after 40 years!
The reverse of the photo is signed by Duke’s family and bears the message: ‘This is the family of Astronaut Duke from Planet Earth. Landed on the Moon, April 1972.’
He also left a commemorative medal issued by the United States Air Force, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1972.
It was crewed by Commander John Young, Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke and Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly.
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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